The Home Team by Dave Pratt

 

About the Book

Book: The Home Team

Author: Dave Pratt

Genre: Military / Romance

Release Date: November 11, 2025

Sam Anthem has always been a team player, leading his Home Team on secret missions around the world and chasing down bad guys for the U.S. government. But Sam has never had a place to call home or someone to go home to.
Consuelo Zamora has been serving as a missionary nurse, but her work has led her to be forced to work with some South American drug lords in order to provide medicine for the common people. After being rescued by Sam and his Home Team, Consuelo settles into a new position in Olympia, Washington, to work with a community center there. But somehow, trouble always follows her, and Sam Anthem seems to always be nearby to save the day.
When Sam is forced on a two-month vacation, he is introduced to a former covert ops soldier-turned pastor. But the vacation takes a turn when the Home Team comes under attack. As the team fights to stay alive against an unknown adversary, Sam begins to wonder if there is more to life than just the job. With his life on the line, Sam must decide between the job or his newfound faith and possible love.

 

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author's opinions. 

 

 Author Interview

What was your process to align your book with your target audience?

I read a good deal. For the past five years, much of what I’ve read is Clean Fiction, and

Christian Fiction. By reading current, popular material, I believed I could get a sense of what

people were reading.

What was the most challenging part of writing your book?

I think it was the editing. I was taught early on to feel free to write badly on the first draft of a

book. It allows me to lay down the book as fast as possible, while it’s still warm and fresh in

my mind. The challenge with that approach is cleaning up the bad stuff (grammer, continuity

issues, consistency issues, timeline, etc.). That’s where the tedious, line-by-line, word-by-

word heavy-lifting takes place, and it is a burden. The good news is that, after somewhere

between three and five edits, the story comes out much better – that keeps me going

through that challenging process.

What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book?

For me, the most enjoyable part is seeing the final product; cover art and all. It’s a stunning

experience and often difficult to own. What I mean by that is that I always wonder how the

story could possibly have come out of me, even with the assistance of my beta readers and

the editors at Ambassador International. But I love holding the book in my hand,

downloading the Kindle version, or listening to it on Audible.

How do you weave Biblical truths into your writing?

Sometimes it starts with the book’s premise, and by considering what verses in the bible

address it, such as the role of a soldier (Luke 3: 14). Sometimes it evolves out of the story

line, such as when a character is forced to wade into a difficult situation with only their faith

to guide them (Daniel 6:16-23). In The Home Team, the manifesting of Paul’s image at

Sam’s cottage just sort of popped into the story, which speaks of Paul’s meeting with Christ,

his blindness, and coming to the Lord (Acts 9:1-22). I wish I could say I was more deliberate,

but it tends to become clear during the process.

Are any of your characters based off of yourself or those close to you?

My kids will tell you that, in The Home Team, Sam is me and Consuelo is my wife, Rafaela. I

didn’t do that deliberately with Sam, but Ela was definitely my inspiration for Consuelo. In

the other four books in the series, three of the main characters carry my kid’s names, but the

characters in the books are definitely fictional. I just wanted to celebrate my family a bit by

doing that.

Was your writing process spontaneous as it came to you or very planned and

organized? Why?

A little of both.

The genesis is spontaneous, as much as that can ever be. I believe an idea passes through

a writer’s mind and, if it’s meaningful, takes root in that person’s subconscious. The

subconscious works on things 24 hours a day, except when the conscious mind gets in the

way. That gives that book idea a lot of time for the mind to work it over. If it’s good, then the

idea keeps coming to mind and I may pursue it.

For the writing process itself, I start with a character and put them into a unique situation.

Then I craft the first two chapters of my story. It’s during those first two chapters that the

character reveals himself or herself, along with the premise. Having said that, The Home

Team was a bit of an exception, where the premise was in place before the writing started,

and the characters showed up to chase the premise.

The combination of the premise, the character, and the first two chapters usually reveals a

plot line, along with numerous potential subplots. It’s at that point that I outline the novel,

tracing the plot throughout, which is followed by me wrestling with the characters as they try

to drag me off-plot and down different roads than originally planned. Sounds weird, I’m sure,

but I spend a lot of time keeping my characters on-plot as they evolve through the story. It

can be challenging, but it is fun and often results in a much richer story line.

Do you have a favorite time of day you are most productive in your writing?

Without a doubt, for me the best time to write is in the morning. Then again, I’ve been known

to write late into the evening and get up in the middle of the night to pursue an idea that

came to mind. That’s that subconscious thing, acting up while I’m sleeping, then waking me

up and calling me to a task.

Why did you pick this genre for your book?

I’m a voracious reader. While I read broadly, I love suspense and mysteries. They’re all

about action, adventure, escape from the real world, and solving complex problems.

How many books do you personally own?

Hundreds, not counting what’s in my Kindle.

What is your next big goal as an author?

My goal is to see all five editions of The Home Team Series of novels in print. All are in

some phase of the publication process. Only yesterday, the idea for my next book, perhaps

another series, came together for me. I’m going to give it a month or so, and then get

started. I love this stuff. Writing is a very pleasant affliction.

About the Author

David Pratt is a native of most of the U.S. west coast, from Bakersfield, California to Anchorage, Alaska. A retired U.S. Army officer and private sector project manager consultant, he is based in Olympia, Washington, and spends the majority of his time living and wandering the Pacific Northwest with his wife and family. Mr. Pratt has wide and varied publication credits, including magazine articles and short stories in a variety of regional and national magazines and journals, and six fiction and nonfiction books. His guiding light in life is Our Lord Jesus Christ, and his focus is glorifying God in all he does. He considers his wife, family, and friends as some of God’s greatest blessings in his life.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 25

Stories By Gina, October 26 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, October 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 28

Vicky Sluiter, October 29 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 30

Cover Lover Book Review, October 31

A Reader’s Brain, November 1 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, November 2

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, November 3 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, November 3

Guild Master, November 4 (Author Interview)

The Sacred Line, November 5

Fiction Book Lover, November 6 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, November 6

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Dave is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3d285/the-home-team-celebration-tour-giveaway

Augmented by Candace Kade

 

 

About the Book

Book: Augmented

Author: Candace Kade

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Release Date: September 16, 2025

Lee Urban must win to survive.

After being sentenced to the banned list, half of the Asian Federation believes Lee Urban is a ticking time bomb that could end the world as they know it. They’re willing to do anything to erase her existence and silence her voice before she can take a stand.

There’s only one way to fight back: enroll in the Race to the Clouds. Winning the competition would garner global media attention and give Urban the coverage she needs to dismantle the enhancement programs. Unfortunately, it also happens to be the deadliest event of the year.

With less time to train than her rivals, Urban and her team must find a way to best the competition. But as enemies close in, riots erupt, and her homeland teeters on the brink of civil war, one thing is certain— she’s running out of time. Not just for herself, but for every Natural she represents.

 

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions. 

About the Author

Candace Kade is a recovering over-achiever who spends her time dreaming up stories typically involving tech, psychology, culture, and/or swords. She’s a certified Krav Maga assistant instructor and loves writing action-packed martial art scenes. A third culture kid, she considers Chengdu and OKC to be her homes.

When she’s not exploring new countries, she enjoys hiking in national parks, moving (again!), teaching her husband Mandarin, and keeping two baby humans alive. She can be bribed with boba tea, fluffy puppies, and breakfast tacos.

 

 

More from Candace

Have you ever broken a cherished possession?

I have. It was my porcelain mug that I bought while traveling through Ireland. The trip was so special and that cup always brought me happy memories as I sipped tea from it.

My husband tried to fix it for me, but the mug is not the same. It now sits tucked in the back of our cupboards too broken to be used but too precious to be throw away.

Being broken doesn’t mean something—or someone—loses purpose.

In kintsugi, the Japanese art form that involves intentionally breaking tea ware, the fragments left over are pieced back together with golden filling. The final result is more beautiful than the original unblemished version ever could be.

The brokenness enhances the tea ware’s beauty.

In my novel Augmented, I wanted to draw a comparison between brokenness and beauty. Just like kintsugi takes broken pottery and turns it into something beautiful, my protagonist Urban faces her own transformation. She is hopeless and feels like she can’t pick up the shattered pieces of her life. But as she tries out for the world’s most deadly race, she learns that being broken doesn’t mean what she thinks it does.

The things that happen to us have a purpose. If we let the Creator finish His masterpiece (us) He’ll use the fragmented pieces of our lives to make a beautiful finished work of art.

Urban feels the same way, believing her brokenness defines her. But through trial and grace, she discovers what it means to be made new.

No one is too broken to be saved or redeemed.

I wrote this book for anyone who’s ever felt lost, hopeless, or broken. We can do all things through Him who gives us strength.

Blog Stops

The Lofty Pages, September 20

Life on Chickadee Lane, September 21

Wishful Endings, September 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 23 (Spotlight)

Simple Harvest Reads, September 24 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, September 25

Artistic Nobody, September 26 (Author Interview)

Guild Master, September 27 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, September 27

Lily’s Corner, September 28

Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 28

Fiction Book Lover, September 29 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, September 30

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, October 1 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, October 2 (Spotlight)

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, October 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Candace is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://sweepwidget.com/c/93118-8wjgredo